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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 02-12-13

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] Lutte contre le terrorisme : davantage de sûreté dans les transports aériens de l'UE
  • [02] Commission welcomes agreement on Directive providing for public participation in environmental decision-making
  • [03] Fonds de solidarité : 21 millions d'€ transférés à la France pour les inondations dans le Gard
  • [04] Solidarity Fund : €444 million for the regions in Germany hit by the disastrous flooding earlier this year
  • [05] Solidarity Fund : €134 million for the regions in Austria hit by the disastrous flooding earlier this year
  • [06] Pensions : first Commission evaluation of national strategies for adequate and sustainable pensions
  • [07] First estimates for the third quarter of 2002 : EU15 current account surplus €14.7 billion ; €5.9 billion surplus on trade in services
  • [08] EU-funded research leads to new effective malaria drug
  • [09] Commission and Poland agree to open up trade in processed food and drink products
  • [10] Mission accomplished : Commission winds up humanitarian operations in Albania
  • [11] Commission grants €2 million in humanitarian aid for victims of landmines in Sri Lanka
  • [12] Autre matériel diffusé Midday Express 13/12/2002 TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 13/12/2002

  • [01] Lutte contre le terrorisme : davantage de sûreté dans les transports aériens de l'UE

    Loyola de Palacio, vice-présidente de la Commission européenne chargée des transports et de l'énergie, a salué aujourd'hui l'adoption définitive de la proposition relative à la sûreté dans l'aviation civile, premier élément essentiel d'une législation européenne dans ce domaine. L'objectif des nouvelles règles est de garantir un niveau élevé de sûreté dans l'aviation civile dans l'UE toute entière grâce à des prescriptions communes harmonisées obligatoires. Mme de Palacio a expliqué que "la sûreté des citoyens européens doit être garantie : seule l'application uniforme et efficace de ces mesures permettra à tous les Européens de garder confiance dans le transport aérien et les aéroports de l'UE." "Nous devons maintenant mettre en œuvre rapidement ce règlement, et, s'il y a lieu, le compléter afin d'y incorporer tout nouvel accord international sur la sûreté", a-t- elle ajouté.

    [02] Commission welcomes agreement on Directive providing for public participation in environmental decision-making

    European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström today welcomed the agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on a new Directive on public participation in environmental decision-making. The Directive provides for public participation in the preparation of environmental plans and programmes, in the sectors of waste management, air pollution and protection of water against nitrate pollution, and of projects with significant environmental impact. The Directive implements a part of the UN-ECE Aarhus Convention into EU legislation.

    [03] Fonds de solidarité : 21 millions d'€ transférés à la France pour les inondations dans le Gard

    Michel Barnier, membre de la Commission européenne, responsable de la politique régionale, et Dominique Galouzeau de Villepin, ministre français des Affaires étrangères, ont signé le 12 décembre, à Copenhague, l'accord de mise en oeuvre d'une subvention de 21 millions d'€ du Fonds de Solidarité de l'Union européenne (FSUE) aux régions françaises affectées par les fortes inondations de l'été dernier. Il s'agit là de l'une des quatre premières opérations du FSUE. Ce fonds, proposé par la Commission en septembre dernier, a été créé en trois mois afin de permettre l'octroi d'une assistance financière rapide en cas de catastrophe majeure. La subvention accordée à la France sera essentiellement consacrée au remboursement des frais liés à la remise en fonction immédiate des infrastructures touchées, à l'établissement de mesures d'hébergement provisoire, à la consolidation des infrastructures préventives, à la protection du patrimoine culturel ainsi qu'au nettoyage des zones sinistrées.

    [04] Solidarity Fund : €444 million for the regions in Germany hit by the disastrous flooding earlier this year

    Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for regional policy, and Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, signed in Copenhagen on 12 December an agreement involving €444 million in assistance for the regions affected by the floods last August. This is one of the first four aid packages paid for out of the European Union Solidarity Fund. This Fund, proposed by the Commission in September, has been set up within three months with a view to providing quick and unbureaucratic EU assistance after major disasters. The sums being allocated to Germany are to serve, among other things, for reimbursing expenditure on aid operations, immediately securing flood- protection facilities, repairing waste-water treatment plants and restoring energy supplies, welfare infrastructure such as kindergartens and hospitals, and drinking-water supplies.

    [05] Solidarity Fund : €134 million for the regions in Austria hit by the disastrous flooding earlier this year

    Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for regional policy, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Austrian Foreign Minister, signed in Copenhagen on 12 December an agreement involving €134 million in assistance for the regions affected by the floods last August. This is one of the first four aid packages paid for out of the European Union Solidarity Fund. This Fund, proposed by the Commission in September, has been set up within three months with a view to providing quick and unbureaucratic EU assistance after major disasters, in particular natural disasters. The sums being allocated to Austria are to serve, among other things, for reimbursing some of its expenditure on the short-term repair of damaged transport infrastructure and water-supply plant, the securing of river-management facilities, essential supplies to the stricken populations, safeguarding of cultural heritage and the general clean-up in the affected areas.

    [06] Pensions : first Commission evaluation of national strategies for adequate and sustainable pensions

    Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, will next week seek the Commission's agreement to the first ever comprehensive, political analysis of EU pension systems and their ability to face the challenge of demographic ageing. This review of pensions in the Member States, which takes the form of a draft joint report of the Commission and of the Council, will show that all EU countries have, to a greater or lesser degree, launched reforms designed to ensure adequate incomes to older people in the future without jeopardising sound public finances and without overburdening future generations. However, the Commission's conclusion will be that most Member States still have to make further reform efforts in order to guarantee adequate and sustainable pensions in an ageing society. Once adopted jointly by the Commission and Council, the draft report is scheduled to go forward to the 2003 Spring summit of EU leaders in Brussels. Today, there are four people of working age for each person over 65 years in the EU. In 2050, it will only be two. In most Member States, pensions expenditure is expected to rise significantly from about 2015 onwards, giving rise to concern about the capacity of future pensions to ensure decent living standards for the retired and financial sustainability of pension systems. Projecting on the basis of legislation in force in 2000, public expenditure on pensions in EU15 is set to rise from 10.4% of GDP in 2000 to 13.3% in 2050.

    [07] First estimates for the third quarter of 2002 : EU15 current account surplus €14.7 billion ; €5.9 billion surplus on trade in services

    According to provisional data issued today by Eurostat, the EU15 external current account recorded a surplus of €14.7 billion in the third quarter of 2002, as compared with a deficit of €0.5 billion in the third quarter of 2001 and a surplus of €7.0 billion in the second quarter of 2002. In the third quarter of 2002 the EU15 external balance of trade in services recorded a surplus of €5.9 billion as compared with a surplus of €0.9 billion in the third quarter of 2001 and a surplus of €5.0 billion in the second quarter of 2002.

    [08] EU-funded research leads to new effective malaria drug

    In an article published today in the scientific magazine "The Lancet", an international consortium funded by a €1,8 million European Commission research grant reports on the initially positive efficacy trials of a new malaria drug. If the initial positive results are confirmed, the new drug could be available within the next three years. This raises new hope for the fight against poverty-linked diseases, in particular in the face of the resurgence of drug-resistant forms of malaria in areas where it was thought to have been eradicated.

    [09] Commission and Poland agree to open up trade in processed food and drink products

    An agreement to facilitate EU-Poland trade in food and drink products, initialled by the European Commission and the Polish authorities in Warsaw in October, has been adopted by the Commission. This agreement, which will help boost trade with Poland in the run-up to EU enlargement, covers food and drink products made from agricultural raw materials listed in Protocol 3 to the Europe Association Agreement with Poland, including chocolates and cocoa paste, biscuits and confectionery, pasta, spirits and vermouths, tea and coffee extracts etc. Following a decision by the EU Council of Ministers, this agreement will come into effect early next year.

    [10] Mission accomplished : Commission winds up humanitarian operations in Albania

    The Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission (ECHO) will tomorrow (14 December) end its activities in Albania after 10 years of activity. Between 1992 and 2002, Albania has benefited from over €142 million in humanitarian aid spent in sectors such as health, water and sanitation, and local infrastructure rehabilitation. "Thankfully the humanitarian situation has now passed the stage of being an emergency. With the assistance provided by the Humanitarian Aid Office, people in Albania, both nationals and refugees, have been able to overcome enormous difficulties", declared Poul Nielson, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian aid. ECHO has accomplished its mission and it is now up to the national authorities to ensure the appropriate follow up to achieve long term sustainable development in the country. The Commission will continue to support this process in many fields through other available instruments of assistance, including the CARDS programme for reconstruction, development and stabilisation.

    [11] Commission grants €2 million in humanitarian aid for victims of landmines in Sri Lanka

    The European Commission has adopted a humanitarian aid decision worth €2 million to help victims of landmines in the war-affected areas of Sri Lanka. The aid is being channelled through ECHO, the Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission, which comes under the responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson.

    [12] Autre matériel diffusé

    Note sur la préparation du Conseil Agriculture / Pêche

    Discours de M. Busquin : "Science et télévision : pour une approche européenne" à la seconde journée Science et Télévision 'La République et ses savants' (Paris)

    EU Presidency and Commission joint press release on the opening of the negotiations with Iran

    Calendrier du 16 au 20 décembre


    From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
    © ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996


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